The Phoenix Requiem

April 7, 2010 6:02 AM

The Phoenix Requiem - a graphic novel by Sarah Ellerton. The story is five volumes and has a planned ending. It should be around 800 pages long... but there's enough there already for an all-day archive binge.
posted by Wolfdog (12 comments total)

Ooooo nifty!

But I approach series like this in the same way I approach TV series: Wait until the whole thing is done and binge on it over a weekend/holiday. (ie wait for the DVD box set, and/or physical graphic novel and/or a ZIP file containing the whole thing.)
posted by Theta States at 6:08 AM on April 7, 2010

One of my favourite online graphic novels! TPR is fantastic and it's great to see it linked here. :D

Her previous work - Inverloch - is also really good, though less polished. You can really see the progression of her art and storytelling style throughout it.
posted by Xany at 6:28 AM on April 7, 2010

I love TPR So much.
posted by specialagentwebb at 6:36 AM on April 7, 2010

Is it just me or are the drawings really stiff and oddly non-expressive?
posted by DU at 6:44 AM on April 7, 2010

Is it just me or are the drawings really stiff and oddly non-expressive?

I had the same reaction. I think they look a little too polished and airbrushed, not a whole lot of movement to them. BUT, 800 page epics usually have awesome stories so Ima check it out.
posted by Think_Long at 7:08 AM on April 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

Should I just start from the beginning or is there a better point to jump in and get a sense of it?
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 7:41 AM on April 7, 2010

Is it just me or are the drawings really stiff and oddly non-expressive?

I looked at some random pages, and that was my reaction, too. I'll try reading a bit from the beginning to see how compelling the story is, to give it a fair chance; the artwork alone wasn't enough to grab me.
posted by Forktine at 7:45 AM on April 7, 2010

It looks very well-executed, but at the pace that the first few pages sets, I can understand why it's going to take 800 pages to get through the story.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:23 AM on April 7, 2010

BUT, 800 page epics usually have awesome stories so Ima check it out.

That's very optimistic.

One thing I like about long webcomics is that you can see the art getting better over time. Check out the first penny arcade, for example.

But while the art in this got a lot more polished it seemed like it was already to polished to begin with.

I looked at some random pages, and that was my reaction, too. I'll try reading a bit from the beginning to see how compelling the story is, to give it a fair chance; the artwork alone wasn't enough to grab me.

Yeah, skip to any random page and it's basically all people standing around talking. There doesn't seem to be much action. Maybe it's supposed to be the comic equivalent of Jane Austin novel or something.

Obviously the art and especially the coloring are really good, I'm not saying it sucks, but it doesn't really draw me in much.
posted by delmoi at 8:42 AM on April 7, 2010

Yeah, skip to any random page and it's basically all people standing around talking. There doesn't seem to be much action. Maybe it's supposed to be the comic equivalent of Jane Austin novel or something.

Actually it does kind of have that vibe, but in a good way. I started reading the first two chapters a while back and got interested in the overall plotline and characters but the arcs are too long to stick with week to week. I recommend the binge strategy. Definitely start from the beginning.
posted by edbles at 9:05 AM on April 7, 2010

I'm a big fan of TPR. Nice to see it here.
posted by arcticwoman at 11:59 AM on April 7, 2010

Jane Austin novel with the (occasional) undead shade. Pretty compelling stuff.
posted by MythMaker at 12:02 PM on April 7, 2010